LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN

The image of the "Lucky 7" dice roll is usually made of 5 + 2, as on the cover of the Perry Mason mystery novel "The Case of the Lucky Legs", but it sometimes
comes up 4 + 3, as on this gold-plated American "Lucky 7" money
clip. The "Lucky 7" dice roll is found on quite a lot of hoodoo curio packaging, including 7-day candles; the character called Lady
Luck, in her Irish-Amewrican World War Two incarnation, wears dice for
earrings and they always show 7. These "Lucky 7" images all derive from the
dice game of craps, where rolling 7 wins, and thus the dice that
roll 7 are a symbol of gambler's
luck

But there is more to the luck of 7 than its place in games
of chance. Why is 7 so fortunate? The following colloquy,
begun in a Freemasonic
mailing list in 1995, was continued in the alt.lucky.w newsgroup
and the pre-war blues e-list from 1997 - 1999. It is currently
my most complete summary of the LUCKY SEVEN concept.

From: Chrcor@aol.com, Chris Corrigan

Hello, all. Greetings from Fellowship Lodge #490, Flint, Michigan.

A question that has come up in lodge is the mention of the number seven.
Why is the number seven important in Masonry?

I can think of the seven days of the week, the seven arts and sciences, but come
to a halt there. Would very much appreciate your comments.

From: jmudie@public.compusult.nf.ca, John " Scotty " Mudie

There is on a Scottish Mason's apron seven tassels on each side and when
the apron was placed around me for the very first time these same seven
tassels intrigued me so much that it led me to the field of research of our
Great Order.

In almost every system of antiquity there are frequent references to the
number seven.

The Pythagoreans called it the perfect number, 3 and 4, the triangle and
the square, the perfect figures.

There were for instance seven ancient planets. The sun was the greatest
planet of the ancient seven and next to the sun, the moon, changing in all
its splendor every seventh day.

The Arabians had seven Holy Temples.

In Persian mysteries there were seven spacious caverns through which the
aspirants had to pass.

The Goths had seven deities, as did the Romans, from whose names are derived
our days of the week.

In Scriptural history there is a frequent recurrence to this number. E.g. in
Revelation 1:16 -- "and He had in His right hand seven stars, " alluding to
the seven churches of Asia. (The seven stars are depicted on a RWM's apron
in the Scottish Constitution).

For us as Masons,
King Solomon was seven years building the Temple. It was
dedicated to the glory of God in the seventh month and the festival lasted
seven days.

There are, as you stated, Brother Chris, our seven liberal arts and sciences.

We require seven Brethren to make a Lodge perfect and we have our seven steps on
the winding staircase.

Reverting back to the Masonic apron, in the course of time aprons became
embellished with much ornamentation until the present form of apron was
instituted. There was no deliberation on the part of our ancient Brethren to
place seven tassels on each side of the apron because the number seven has and
probably always will be a sacred number in Masonic symbolism.

To assist further, Brother Chris, i suggest consulting Albert G. Mackey's
"Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry," which devotes two full pages to the number seven.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the research as much as I have.

From: Gordon Charlton, gordon@charlton.demon.co.uk

That reminds me of a story. Whilst on holiday in Austria we participated in
the games laid on for the evening by the tour company. We were part of a
team of seven, and for each round of the game (a rather silly one involving
bending over and throwing bowling balls between your legs) we adopted a
different set of seven names.

Maya (my wife) reminds me that the seventh son of a seventh son is
supposed to be born gifted. Apparently Donny Osmond was such a son. I pass no
comment on his "gifts."

"The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Numbers" notes (amongst
other things) "If a, b are the shorter sides of a Pythagorean triangle, the
seven divides one of a, b, a-b or a+b"

It also reminds us that there are 7 basically different patterns of
symmetry for a frieze design, which I suppose may be of interest to an
operative Mason. (I actually knew this as my father was in wallpaper for a
time.)

It claims the Greeks called 7 the "rational diagonal" of a square of side 5,
apparently *because* (7^2)+1=50, which makes no sense to me.

Finally it postulates that the "St. Ives" problem (As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives. Every wife had seven sacks, etc) dates back
over 3500 years, and can be traced to an Egyptian scribe. (This theory can
be traced back, possibly more reliably, to one R. J. Gillingham, "Mathematics
in the Time of the Pharaohs," MIT Press, 1972.)

From: Rick Reade (bowen@unm.edu)

There are seven visible planets and luminaries (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn). Each one rules a day of the week (Sun=Sunday, Saturn=
Saturday, Moon=Monday, etc.) and that is where the seven day week came from.
Each one is supposed to have a particular virtue or power.

Harold Percival believed that each one of us is an individual trinity,
the "Triune Self", part of which re-exists in our mortal bodies, blah,
blah, blah. It has seven minds:

body-mind

feeling-mind

desire-mind

rightness

reason

I-ness and

Selfness.

When the Triune Self progresses to the next noetic level and becomes an "Intelligence",
those seven minds become "faculties":

focus faculty

image faculty,

dark faculty

time faculty

motive faculty

I-Am faculty and

Light faculty.

For more see "Thinking and Destiny; Adepts, Masters and Mahatmas;
Masonry and Its Symbols (incorporated in the 11th ed. of T&D) by Harold W.
Percival.

From: Kirk Crady, kcrady@polaris.cv.nrao.edu

Checking various sources for references to the number seven, I was
struck by this quote from Manly P. Hall:

"The 3 (spirit, mind, soul) descend into the 4 (the world), the sum
being the 7, or the mystic nature of man, consisting of a threefold
spiritual body and a fourfold material form. These are symbolized by
the cube, which has six surfaces and a mysterious seventh point
within..."

You may make of it what you will, but I would also observe, in reading the above
quote, that the Masonic apron apparently illustrates his meaning quite
beautifully: consisting of a triangle (3) fitted to a square (4). . . With this
perspective in mind, its several permutations make for an interesting source of
further thought.

"The 7 days of the week, the 7 sabbatical years, the 7 years of
famine, the 7 years of plenty, the 7 years occupied in the building of
King Solomon's Temple, and especially the 7 liberal arts and
sciences."

These surround an All-Seeing Eye, a
Masonic symbol. Beneath the eye are the words, "The All-Seeing Eye Guards You
From Evil."

In the small town of Nevada City, California, there is a market called the
Lucky 7 Grocery Store. The reference is to the fact that in some gambling
games a score of 7 wins the turn.

When Inanna the Queen of Heaven (the major love, fertility, and war
goddess of the Sumerians) descended into Hell, she was forced to pass
through seven gates, at each of which she was required to remove one of
her garments, until she stood before her sister Erishkigal the Queen of
the Underworld, naked and defenseless. She was then struck dead by seven
plagues. Later, upon her return from Hell, she passed though the same
seven gates, at each of which she resumed one of her garments. (See Samuel
Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein's "Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth" for the full
text of what happened to her in Hell and how she got out alive.)

In African-American hoodoo
there is are several formulas for anointing oil, soap, and floor
wash that use the numebr seven. Among them are Seven Herb Bath,
Gambler's Gold Lucky Seven Hand Wash, Seven-Eleven Holy Type Oil,
and a relatively modern line of products marketed under the name
Seven African Powers. These "powers" are better known in
the African-Caribbean Santeria religion as the Orishas or natural
forces of the African Yoruba people, who during slavery days
became identified with seven Catholic saints. Images of the Seven
African Powers can be found on Santeria votive candles.

The Seven Sisters is a term used to indicate the
constellation of the Pleiades -- but The Seven Sisters of New Orleans
were a family of hoodoo women who
lived and practiced in the Crescent City in the 1920s - 30s.
Mentioned by several of Harry Middleton Hyatt's
informants, they were said to have a
house "by the water" and were popular enough to became the
subject of a blues song by the Texas musician J. T. "Funny Papa"
Smith (whose name was sometimes wrongly written as "Funny Paper Smith"). Here are complete lyrics for "Seven Sisters Blues,
Parts I and 2" recorded October 3rd, 1931 in Chicago
and released on two sides of a 78 rpm record. Notice that
the number 21 (3 times 7) also appears in this song. The
transciption is by Chris Smith (chris@skerries.demon.co.uk):

SEVEN SISTERS BLUES - PARTS 1 and 2
J. T. "Funny Papa" Smith

PART 1

They tell me Seven Sisters in New Orleans
that can really fix a man up right
They tell me Seven Sisters in New Orleans
that can really fix a man up right
And I'm headed for New Orleans, Louisiana,
I'm travelin' both day and night.

I hear them say the oldest Sister
look just like she's 21
I hear them say the oldest Sister
look just like she's 21
And said she can look right in your eyes
and tell you just exactly what you want done.

They tell me they've been hung,
been bled, and been crucified
They tell me they've been hung,
been bled, and been crucified
But I just want enough help
to stand on the water and rule the tide.

It's bound to be Seven Sisters,
'cause I've heard it by everybody else
It's bound to be Seven Sisters,
I've heard it by everybody else
Course, I'd love to take their word,
but I'd rather go and see for myself.

When I leave the Seven Sisters,
I'll pile stones all around
When I leave the Seven Sisters,
I'll pile stones all around
And go to my baby and tell her,
"There's another Seven Sister man in town."

Good morning, Seven Sisters,
just thought I'd come down and see
Good morning, Seven Sisters,
I thought I'd come down to see
Will you build me up where I'm torn down,
and make me strong where I'm weak?

PART 2

I went to New Orleans, Louisiana,
just on account of something I heard
I went to New Orleans, Louisiana,
just on account of something I heard
The Seven Sisters told me everything I wanted to know,
and they wouldn't let me speak a word.

The Seven Sisters sent me away happy,
'round the corner I met another little girl
Seven Sisters sent me 'way happy,
'round the corner I met another little girl
She looked at me and smiled, and said,
"Go, Devil, and destroy the world."

[spoken] I'm gonna destroy it, too.

[spoken] I'm all right now.

Seven times a year
the Seven Sisters will visit me in my sleep
Seven times a year
the Seven Sisters will visit me all in my sleep
And they said I won't have no trouble,
and said I'll live twelve days in a week.

Wanna go down in Louisiana,
and get the hell right out of your bein'
Wanna go down in Louisiana,
and get right out of your bein'
These Seven Sisters can do anything in Louisiana,
but you'll have to go to New Orleans.

As Funny Papa Smith's song indicates, the Seven Sisters demonstrated a
"gift" or mark of power commonly found among hoodoo root workers: they could tell
a client what was wrong before he or she spoke. This gift
was also attributed to the Arkanasas conjure and spiritualist Aunt Caroline Dye.
Advertisements for such seers
may make reference to their telepathic power with stock
phrases such as "She tells all before you utter a word" or
"Don't tell her -- let her tell you!"

The famous Seven Sisters of New Orleans gave rise to numerous imitators, among
them Ida Carter, a hoodoo women in
Hogansville, Alabama, who called herself "Seven Sisters," despite
being a single individual. In recent years the Seven Sisters of
New Orleans name has became a brand of hoodoo products distributed by International Imports.

The theme of "seven lucky brothers" is a recurrent folkloric motif. I am
reminded of the German folk tale (recorded by the Grimm brothers) of the "Seven
Brothers Turned to Swans" and of the mid-20th century musical "Seven Brides for
Seven Brothers."

This brings us back to the "Seventh Son" concept touched on earlier -- and the
special luck attributed to the seventh son of a seventh son,
as seen in Willie Dixon's blues song "The Seventh Son,"
recorded by Willie Mabon in 1955 and also by Mose Allison.
Thanks to Chris Smith (chris@skerries.demon.co.uk) for the
transcription:

THE SEVENTH SON
by Willie Dixon (Arc/BMI)

Now everybody's crying about the Seventh Son,
In the whole round world there is only one;
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call the Seventh Son.

Now I can tell your future before it comes to pass,
I can do things for you makes your heart feel glad;
I can look at the skies and predict the rain,
I can tell when a woman's got another man;
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call the Seventh Son.

I can hold you close and squeeze you tight,
I can make you cry for me both day and night,
I can heal the sick and raise the dead,
I can make you little girls talk all out of your head;
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call the Seventh Son.

Now, I can talk these words that sound so sweet,
And make your loving heart even skip a beat.
I can take you, baby, and hold you in my arms,
And make the flesh quiver on your lovely bones;
I'm the one, I'm the one,
I'm the one, I'm the one, the one they call the Seventh Son.

Quoting from "A Dictionary Of Superstitions" by Iona Opie and Moira Tatem (Oxford University Press, 1992):

1579: Lupton's "Thousand Notable Things": "It is manifest by
experience that the seuenth Male Chyld by iust order (neuer a Gyrle or Wench
borne betweene) doth heele onely with touching through a naturall gyft, the Kings
Euyll."

On the seventh hour
of the seventh day
of the seventh month
the seven doctors say
"He were born for good luck
that you'll see"
I got seven hundred dollars
don't you mess with me
'cause i'm the hootchie cootchie man...

From: Yoke Lim

In Chinese culture, the number 7 also features rather prominently
in some aspects of life. For example, the seventh day of the first
moon of the lunar year is known as Human's Day. That day is
considered the birthday of all human beings universally. That is
why a Chinese is deemed to be a year older on that day, regardless
of what the actual date of birth is. But this is not to say that
a Chinese does not celebrate a birthday on the actual day of birth.

I have no idea how far back in time this idea started, but as I
write this, I am struck by the coincidence of the Christian concept
of creation of the world by the seventh day as related in Genesis.

Similarly, on a death, a special ceremony is held on the 49th day
after death, that is, 7 X 7 days. It signifies the final parting.

From: dhand302@aol.com (DHAND302)

I came across a reference (in Encyclopedia Britannica, actually) to the
"Shichi-fuku-jin," or the Seven Gods of Luck in Japanese folklore.
They're described as comical deities often depicted riding on a treasure
ship with various magical implements, such as a hat of invisibility, rolls
of brocade, an inexhaustible purse, keys to the divine treasure-house,
cloves, scrolls or books, a lucky rain hat, or a robe of feathers.

I've never heard of these whimsical little dudes before, but I
instinctively like them a lot. Yet when I went to the library to
research this a bit further (at least find a good picture of them) I found
nary a trace.

Anybody else know anything more?

From: weldonkees@aol.com (WeldonKees) (Paul Edson)

The "shichi-fukujin," translated either as the "Seven Gods of Happiness"
or "Seven Gods of Luck" are personifications of earthly happiness in
Japanese folk religion. They are:

HOTEI: the "fat" or "laughing" Buddha, who personifies
your garden-variety mirth and merriment.

BISHAMONTEN: the watchman

FUKUROKUJU: the god of longevity

JUROJIN: the god of scholarship

DAIKOKU: the god of nutrition

EBISU: the god of fishing

BENZAITEN: the goddess of music.

These seven are often portrayed together riding on a treasure ship,
but may also be carved or depicted individually. Representations are
often in the form of wooden or ivory amulets and most commonly are
used to pin together the kimono. I don't have any further information
about what objects are generally carried by or associated with each,
sorry.

These seven gods are probably an expansion of earlier Chinese deities
who fulfilled the same sorts of functions. The Chinese deities were five
in number, dressed in the red robes of civil servants, and each was
usually accompanied by a bat. In fact, five bats depicted together often
stand in for the gods as a symbol of luck.

(Information from "The Dictionary of Symbolism" by Hans Biedermann
and from my brother, who has a master's degree in Japanese culture and
language.)

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